AusCycling CX National Series Course Preview: Rds 1 & 2
The AusCycling Cyclocross National Series is starting things off in Perth this year, as Australia’s fastest and finest cyclocross riders head to Garvey Park for rounds 1 & 2 of the Aussie national series.
Here’s the map of the course that WA Cyclocross have in store:
In case the image above doesn’t make it clear, the race start on day 1 will be at the north end of the park, with riders travelling around the course anti-clockwise, with the course direction (excepting the staircase) to be reversed for Round 2 on Sunday.
For the Saturday course, this will mean a short sprint and some tight, grassy corners to start the race, with riders then passing the pits before negotiating some flowing turns and heading into the extended dirt section.
Riders should be able to gain some speed on the dirt path before a straight run in to what is likely Australia’s longest sand section for a CX course - nicknamed ‘Normandy’ by the locals.
It contains deep sand that’s likely to be hard to negotiate for those riding this weekend as well as multiple hills and a rare sand descent. Riders such as Graeme Brown have been known to ride all the way through this sand section without needing to dismount, but he has two Olympic gold medals at home - mere mortals are likely to have to shoulder the bike and run at least part of this section.
After crossing the sandy expanse of Normandy, riders will need to negotiate a short descent before powering back onto the dirt path for a short and speedy section that will take them over a concrete bridge.
According to local sources this bridge has been known to claim a few victims who got overconfident with their cornering speed, so caution is advised here.
After crossing the bridge riders will be back on the dirt for an extended stretch, eventually taking them back towards the event village and the second passage of the pits.
As the course heads back away from the race village for its second half, it becomes flatter and less technical, with long stretches through the grass and a few short steep pinches out the back of some nearby houses.
A short set of stairs is the primary obstacle on the trip home as riders make their way back to the event village, with a finishing straight back on the grass for any final sprints.
The extensive sand section will be the course’s major technical challenge, and riders who lose any time through the soft stuff should be able to close some gaps on the faster sections if they have the power.
The forecast for this weekend is for dry and sunny conditions - great for riders fleeing the first chills of winter, but it will mean that the course’s numerous sand sections will be a bit softer and trickier to negotiate.
The comparatively warm weather will tempt some riders to run a water bottle on their bikes, but those who do will be compromising their ability to shoulder the bike on the course’s long sandy sections.
Tyre choices are likely to either be a file tread pattern for maximum speed through the sand and the hard-packed grassy sections, or possibly an intermediate tread for a bit more confidence through the corners.
Thanks to the crew at WA Cyclocross - including Mark Matear, Tanya Matear and Tristan Nash for their help in pulling this article together, and to Aloysius Parker Photography (@nigelnosering on Instagram) for the photos used in this article.